Maximum Noble‐Metal Efficiency in Catalytic Materials: Atomically Dispersed Surface Platinum

Platinum is the most versatile element in catalysis, but it is rare and its high price limits large‐scale applications, for example in fuel‐cell technology. Still, conventional catalysts use only a small fraction of the Pt content, that is, those atoms located at the catalyst’s surface. To maximize the noble‐metal efficiency, the precious metal should be atomically dispersed and exclusively located within the outermost surface layer of the material. Such atomically dispersed Pt surface species can indeed be prepared with exceptionally high stability. Using DFT calculations we identify a specific structural element, a ceria “nanopocket”, which binds Pt²⁺ so strongly that it withstands sintering and bulk diffusion. On model catalysts we experimentally confirm the theoretically predicted stability, and on real Pt‐CeO₂ nanocomposites showing high Pt efficiency in fuel‐cell catalysis we also identify these anchoring sites.     

How Absorbed Hydrogen Affects the Catalytic Activity of Transition Metals

Heterogeneous catalysis is commonly governed by surface active sites. Yet, areas just below the surface can also influence catalytic activity, for instance, when fragmentation products of catalytic feeds penetrate into catalysts. In particular, H absorbed below the surface is required for certain hydrogenation reactions on metals. Herein, we show that a sufficient concentration of subsurface hydrogen, H^sub, may either significantly increase or decrease the bond energy and the reactivity of the adsorbed hydrogen, H^ad, depending on the metal. We predict a representative reaction, ethyl hydrogenation, to speed up on Pd and Pt, but to slow down on Ni and Rh in the presence of H^sub, especially on metal nanoparticles. The identified effects of subsurface H on surface reactivity are indispensable for an atomistic understanding of hydrogenation processes on transition metals and interactions of hydrogen with metals in general.     

Cobalt(II) chloride complexes with 1,1′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bipyrazole featuring first‐ and second‐sphere coordination of the ligand

In catena‐poly[[dichloridocobalt(II)]‐μ‐(1,1′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bipyrazole‐κ²N²:N^2′)], [CoCl₂(C₈H₁₀N₄)]_n, (1), two independent bipyrazole ligands (Me₂bpz) are situated across centres of inversion and in tetraaquabis(1,1′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bipyrazole‐κN²)cobalt(II) dichloride–1,1′‐dimethyl‐4,4′‐bipyrazole–water (1/2/2), [Co(C₈H₁₀N₄)₂(H₂O)₄]Cl₂·2C₈H₁₀N₄·2H₂O, (2), the Co²⁺ cation lies on an inversion centre and two noncoordinated Me₂bpz molecules are also situated across centres of inversion. The compounds are the first complexes involving N,N′‐disubstituted 4,4′‐bipyrazole tectons. They reveal a relatively poor coordination ability of the ligand, resulting in a Co–pyrazole coordination ratio of only 1:2. Compound (1) adopts a zigzag chain structure with bitopic Me₂bpz links between tetrahedral Co^II ions. Interchain interactions occur by means of very weak C—H...Cl hydrogen bonding. Complex (2) comprises discrete octahedral trans‐[Co(Me₂bpz)₂(H₂O)₄]²⁺ cations formed by monodentate Me₂bpz ligands. Two equivalents of additional noncoordinated Me₂bpz tectons are important as `second‐sphere ligands' connecting the cations by means of relatively strong O—H...N hydrogen bonding with generation of doubly interpenetrated pcu (α‐Po) frameworks. Noncoordinated chloride anions and solvent water molecules afford hydrogen‐bonded [(Cl⁻)₂(H₂O)₂] rhombs, which establish topological links between the above frameworks, producing a rare eight‐coordinated uninodal net of {4²⁴.5.6³} ( ilc ) topology.     

Efficient Synthetic Approach to Fluorescent Oxazole-4-carboxylate Derivatives

In our attempt to synthesize a halogenated analog of green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore, we discovered a simple and efficient synthetic strategy to the derivatives of oxazole-4-carboxylic acid substituted at positions 2 and 5. The method allows for introduction of different aryl substituents at the position 5, aryl or alkyl substituents at position 2 of oxazole, and gives access not only to free carboxyl at position 4, but also to a range of its amide derivatives. The advantages of the synthetic strategy presented are availability of precursors, good yields, and avoiding palladium coupling and metalation procedures. The synthesized compounds fluoresce in visible region with quantum yields up to 0.82. We believe that 5-aryl-4-carboxyoxazole is a promising core for creation of new fluorescent dyes.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.     

Novel 3-Cyanosubstituted 1,2-Thiaphosphacyclanes: Synthesis and Stereochemistry

The facile synthetic route to 5- and 6-membered 3-cyano-2-oxo-1,2-thiaphosphacyclanes and 6-cyano-2-oxa-10-oxa(thia)-phosphabicyclo [4.4.0]-decane-1-oxides was elaborated via intramolecular S-alkylation in a series of y -haloalkylsubstituted thiophosphorylacetonitriles. The compounds were used to prepare novel P(III)-containing bidentate ligands with definite stereochemistry. Diastereomeric transformations among 2-oxo-1,2-thiaphosphinanes were found and the mechanism of such transformations is suggested.     

Synthesis of 1,2-Azaphosphacyclanes; Generality of the Mechanism of P=N Alkylation and Arbuzov Reaction

A novel convenient "one-pot" synthesis of 2-oxo-1,2 u 5 -azaphosphacyclanes 1 and 1,2 u 4 -azaphosphacyclanium salts 2 via intramolecular N-alkylation of y -halogenalkyl-substituted iminophosphoryl compounds 3 has been developed. The common nature of the reaction of intramolecular cyclization of iminophosphoryl compounds having an alkoxy group at the phosphorus atom and the Arbuzov reaction has been established.     

Phosha-Meerwein Reaction of Diazo Esters

Abstract

Diazo esters (la,b) react with trialkyl phosphates (2a–c) in the presence of BF₃.OEt₂ to give the corresponding phosphates (3a–e) in 42–58 % yields. The competed intra/intermolecular protonation in the reaction of la with dimethyl hydrogen phosphite leads to phosphonate. 4,and phosphite 5.     

Mass Discrimination in High-Mass MALDI-MS

In high-mass matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), the accessible m/z range is limited by the detector used. Therefore, special high-mass detectors based on ion conversion dynodes (ICDs) have been developed. Recently, we have found that mass bias may exist when such ICD detectors are used [Weidmann et al., Anal. Chem. 85(6), 3425–3432 (2013)]. In this contribution, the mass-dependent response of an ICD detector was systematically studied, the response factors for proteins with molecular weights from 35.9 to 129.9 kDa were determined, and the reasons for mass bias were identified. Compared with commonly employed microchannel plate detectors, we found that the mass discrimination is less pronounced, although ions with higher masses are weakly favored when using an ICD detector. The relative response was found to depend on the laser power used for MALDI; low-mass ions are discriminated against with higher laser power. The effect of mutual ion suppression in dependence of the proteins used and their molar ratio is shown. Mixtures consisting of protein oligomers that only differ in mass show less mass discrimination than mixtures consisting of different proteins with similar masses. Furthermore, mass discrimination increases for molar ratios far from 1. Finally, we present clear guidelines that help to choose the experimental parameters such that the response measured matches the actual molar fraction as closely as possible.

Evaluation of the role of “dilution” in ionic crystal formation by analysis of electron density distribution for two solvatomorphs of 4-amino-3,5-dinitropyrazole ammonium salt

The influence of “dilution” on the peculiarities of supramolecular organization in ionic crystals was analyzed by a detailed analysis of the electron density distribution function recovered by high-resolution X-ray diffraction experiments for two solvatomorphs of 4-amino-3,5-dinitropyrazole ammonium salt. The obtained results show that a decrease in the number of solvate water molecules unexpectedly increases the contribution from the anion-anion interactions to the lattice energy mainly due to the interactions between the π-systems of anions and between the nitro groups, which additionally confirms their binding nature. The latter indicates the general character of tendencies observed for hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions in the formation of crystalline materials in molecular and ionic crystals.